La Luz Lakwatsa

Sidekick powers

I must be a sidekick. Somehow, my intuition, my sixth sense, my ESP has served me well. So far, out of two pregnancies, I've accurately predicted the gender of the babies: one is with a good friend of mine, Julie, and the other with my best friend's wife, Jeng. I've made a couple more, although we still don't know what the gender of those babies are. And remember my Subic trip (see my very first post here)? It happened again this morning, with me not knowing where in Pampanga San Luis is, moreso the hospital where Jeng gave birth. It just seems that I am always led to the right direction by an unseen force that's always with me (perhaps I am a Jedi master). It's just a pity why I couldn't use these sidekick powers during examination, or when I play the lotto. If I could, I would definitely be a very rich and well-educated sidekick! Maybe all I need is a little sidekick training and soon, I'll be RICH... FILTHY RICH!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Do I hear balato?

Idol Forecast

Who do you think will win this year's American Idol? I have a feeling it will be a toss-up between the two Davids, Archuleta and Cook. Both contestants have shown spectacular performances throughout the season, although Archuleta forgot his lines once, and I heard his voice break twice already. The thing about this kid is that he endears women by his boyish charm and his versatile range. As for Cook, the only thing I fear about this guy is that he might do another Daughtry. It would be a surprise if Jason Castro or Brooke White made it to the top two. As for Syesha, there's something in her that makes her standout. Week after week, you could see that she's getting better and better. Hopefully she doesn't get booted out next week. Personally, I am keeping my fingers crossed for Cook, who I think is a better singer than Archuleta. I simply find Archuleta too High School Musical.

Movie hypochondriac

Admittedly, I am a movie hypochondriac. Well technically, it's not hypochondria, a condition where one gets depressed because of an imagined physical ailment. But everytime I go see a movie, I tend to overly get into the lead character I'm watching and be so immersed in it, I feel that I am actually it. Take for instance the movie I watched yesterday, The Forbidden Kingdom. Right now, I feel that one of these days, I'll suddenly be transported in a mystic ancient world where I would serve a grand purpose. And to be honest with you, right now, I feel that I know kung-fu a lot that I could do a Tiger, a Praying Mantis, a Monkey or a Crane. Talk about getting into character!

Oh, and did I tell you about the time that I saw myself so much in Aga Muhlach's character, Enteng, in Kung Ako Na Lang Sana? Still single, 30 something guy, enjoying bachelorhood, living a carefree life, with "special" college girl pals ... you know the story. It's as if the story was meant for me!

And that movie, Jumper ... after the movie, I was literally focusing on places in magazines and books, hoping that I will be transported there in a split second. Sort of like beam me up Scotty. I just hope that someday, I could actually do something straight out of the movies. Call me a dreamer, but hey, these are the things that keep me hopeful for a better life. You should try being a movie hypochondriac sometime. It's fun!

Hong Kong Happiness

Getting into character

Sabic sa Subic

Singapore Family Getaway

Becoming my parents

Oh no! It's starting to happen. Not that I am fathering a child already (who to do it with has become a perennial problem). A little while ago, I was in conversation with a new colleague (NC) and we happened to talk about a former officemate (FO) of mine who incidentally was a friend of NC's boyfriend.

Me: It's really a small world.
NC: Yeah. So you know FO?
Me: Yes, he was our medical editor before. How do you know him?
NC: He and my boyfriend met each other through cycling.
Me: Oh, yeah. FO is a cycler (gasp!).

I immediately stopped on my tracks. That just didn't feel nor sound right! Jeepers! What's happening to me? And before I could say another word to redeem myself, she uttered, "Cyclist, you mean." And then she goes on to ask, "So, what exactly do you do here?"

Need I reveal that I work as an editor? For crying out loud, what's happening to my vocabulary!?! 

Word to the uninitiated: There is such as term as cycler, although cyclist is conventionally used to refer to someone who rides a bike. This is according to a very good friend of mine, who collaborated with Merriam-Webster.

My Lovable Lola

Great! I just got into a car accident! Thank God, nothing bad happened to me or to the car, just a slight scratch. It only left me P2,000 poorer. The poor guy had a really bad fender after the accident. Not that it was my fault... no! It was his fault entirely, not sure where to go whether straight or right. People who drive around Makati should be aware of the difficulty of driving around the city, with all the one ways and what nots. But that's another story.

My story about my lovable grandmother happened this morning. After lunch, she went to my room asking whether I would like to have dessert. I flatly said no. She then offered me some oranges, which I declined. She tried to convince me more by saying that it was as sweet as the oranges I buy from the office. I said that I was too full to eat another bite. She said that there were lots of oranges in the refrigerator, and that my aunt left a bag for us.

"She got it from SM," she said. "She got it for BUY TAKE, ONE TAKE!" Now isn't that a GREAT deal?!? She ought to be in showbusiness!

Hello again, blog!

It's 6:37 (it will change in a bit, but I'm sticking with this time) and I'm waiting for friends to drop by in my favorite hangout, Starbucks. After a very long week, I just feel so tired, so exhausted. Imagine spending almost the entire day in the office trying so hard to meet deadlines, waiting for my uncle after office, some nights drinking until the wee hours of the morning. It's Friday, and thank God, I have nothing much to do tonight but have a quiet time with friends.

Speaking of friends, I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine who just happened to drop by. His name is Jovy (well, I'd prefer to call him that), a 79-year-old chap who lives in San Francisco who just happens to like to stay in the Philippines more than in the US. He is a Filipino and he went there during his late teens after his family was given a chance to live there. His father helped the Americans during the second world war.

Being with Jovy is like being in a page of Tuesdays with Morrie. He would tell us stories of his youth, of how life was in wartime Tondo, his late wife and the San Francisco earthquake a couple of decades back, or his friends back in San Francisco and so much more. It is always welcome break to be chatting with this guy, sometimes sharing funny antics, with a few curses here and there. Well, right this very moment, he is telling me stories about his trip to Hong Kong and how amazed he was with Victoria Peak. The funny thing is, I can still manage to type this blog while looking him straight in the eye, listening to his stories. Now, that's journalism in action!

 

My Best Friends

Meet some (wala akong digital photos ng iba) of my best friends (some best-er, some best-est--who they are is your guess).

Somewhere ... somehow ...

In a few hours from now, I'll be heading of for a place far north. It will be my first time to drive to that said destination---Subic Bay Freeport to be exact. The thing is, I really don't know how to get there. I will be merely trusting my instincts to find out where to go.

 

Yup, I have trusted my instincts a number of times before, and yes, it has always brought me to where I wanted to go---all the time! The only times that my instincts fail me is when I am gambling.

 

So later, I will merely be trusting my gut feel. I know I will get to my destination ... somehow!

Beach Bum

So I celebrated my birthday last Saturday without my family. Sad, but true. I just couldn't pass up on a good opportunity to go to the beach at this time of the year when the sun is scorching HOT, HOT, HOT! Besides, I am with some of my best friends (my other best friends are school buddies)--the next best thing to family. And it was definitely a birthday weekend to remember.

We got there relatively early and, after walking around the area, I decided to take my first dip. The waves were crashing like hell and I got washed to shore. My friends were chuckling their hearts out as I checked if my contacts were still on. People around there watched in shock as they thought I got dizzy or something. A second wave had me tumbling and rolling under water, making my friends chuckle more and the people around them more concerned.

I have lots more to tell. I will be updating this later. Now, I have a kiddie party to go to. Until later!

Enough of that!

Okay, so I am once again your resident jerk. To those whom I consistently blog, my sincerest apologies. It's just that you make me life so colorful and meaningful. And that's you, anonymous!

But enough of that. It's time to refocus my energy on the lighter side of life. From now on, no more writing about sentiments, about friends, about my life in general. Except, of course, in cases where there is a dire need to write about me.

Beginning today, I'll be writing about life's comedy of errors.

I was with a friend yesterday and she told us a story about her household help.

"I was going to a wedding sometime ago and I asked my maid to call a local hair salon for me -- Jun Encarnacion. I told her, 'Could you call up Jun Encarnacion for me. The number is listed in the directory,'" she recounted.

"She came back and told me she couldn't find it! I asked for the directory and asked her where she looked."

"'Isn't it under N for Encarnacion?'" the maid quipped.

My friend almost threw the directory at her in surprise and amusement. At least she made an effort. A for effort (read: ay-fort)?

The Rain After the Rainbow

People say that all good things must come to an end. In fact, if you think about it technically, all things, no matter if it's good or bad, must really come to an end. Happiness, just like a rainbow, ends abruptly, just like that. Think about the last time you were happy. How fast did it fade? Or did it fade at all or just instantaneously disappeared? How many time has tragedy replaced bliss? Does it always follow that there is rain after a rainbow has appeared?

Contrary to what many people say, life is really a rain after the rainbow thing. Who ever said that there's a rainbow always after the rain? Not in our lives, I don't think so. It's more of like the calm before the storm. Only, what we do feel are momentary blissful episodes followed by a period of tragedy, remorse, guilt or what have you.

I just came back from a weekend trip to a city far south of where I live. I was with some friends and we talked "business." I should say that it was a good trip. It was one of the more memorable local trips I have had for as long as I could remember.

Fast forward to today. A friend got angry at me. A former MBA classmate forgot who I was totally and even asked me if he knows me (now tell me, am I really that forgettable?). And to think it was just two days ago when I had the greatest ride of my life this month. And now, I'm back to the rain, the storm, the tumultuous sea that is life. And the worst thing about today: I am continuously craving for chocolates despite the fact that I'm on a diet. Why do you always crave for something that is not given to you or that you don't have? I guess that merits another blog entry.

Anyway, I promised myself not to be oversly sensitive this year. Who cares if people get mad at me? Who cares if someone forgets my name? No one! And that's just the way it is in this world. Sheesh! I should get a life (thanks to anonymous for this)!

And now, I'm off to search for that next calm. I am once again starting that quest for the next rainbow in my life. Damn. I hate rainbows.

Stag

I've never been to a stag party before. Nor have I been invited to one.

Yesterday, my friends/badminton buddies were talking about the stag party they held last week for one of our badminton buddies who is getting married this Friday. If only I knew they were coming up with one, I should have insisted on going.

Quite surprisingly, after feeling a little left-out, I was immediately swept back to reality that I have my goals this year, and being too sentimental about things is definitely not one of them. Cool. I just succeeded in psyching myself that there will always be other chances. Besides, I could always throw myself a stag party anytime I want to. It will just be me, with all the perks of a stag party all to myself!

I am a stag, anyway, and I deserve to party!

Miss Flor

Miss Flor is our household help. She is married and has three kids so there is no hint of infatuation from my side. She is just so funny that her antics deserve a blog entry of its own.

I remember sometime last year when my brothers and me were singing karaoke. She happened to pass by with her broom and listened in awe as we outbelted each other. As my youngest brother ended his song, she commented, "Nice voice! But you need to furlong your notes to make it better." My brothers and me looked at each other in utter amusement. Of course, furlonging it would prolong the beautiful melody, hence the song as well.

And then there was a time when we wanted to go the mall. She told my mother not to go there. "There are so many people in the mall today. There is a sales." And sales would be the year-end sale of the mall to dispose of its holiday apparels.

Yesterday, while doing the grocery, I asked her to get some apples from the fruit section. Normally, a person would get a clear plastic bag from a rack and fill it with apples. The person should then hand the bag over to a grocery personnel to have the bag weighed and stickered with a bar code. As I approached Miss Flor, I noticed that the apples were scattered all over the grocery cart. I asked her why the apples were not in a bag. She told me that they looked for a bag of apples and found none. As you know, the apples were not pre-packed and she was looking for the pre-packed ones. I told her that it needs to be stickered with a bar code. She replied that it already has a sticker, pointing at the label of the apple. I almost dropped the apples because I really wanted to laugh and roll on the floor.

She has a lot more antics but I left them in my Alzheimer's bank. She is really a comic relief and provides the family with a de-stressor every now and then. And that, my friends, is why Miss Flor deserves a space in this blog site.

Reflections

Long time no blog once again. It has been about two weeks since I last visited this site.

Anyways, happy new year to you, Cerebro! I guess there is no better time to do some reflections on the past year than now. It was indeed a crazy year for me and for the people around me.

On Sentimentalities

The past year has been an emotional roller coaster for me. A lot of sensitivities were sparked inside due to some outside forces. I had a lot of sensitivity issues with friends, with my best friends, with family members and with classmates. It had been hard, trying to control the angst and the feelings of deprivation and rejection. It was so hard that all of those just got loose. Never mind who was at fault, although I must admit that all those bad days were spurred by my insecurities, I just had to vent it out, making me the most transparent person this side of town.

I lost a friend and almost lost one of my best friends somewhere along the way (nope, it wasn't registered in this blog. It happened long before this blog was created). It was a good thing that new relationships were formed and new friendships were established.

On Travels

One of the greatest things that happened to me last year was the opportunity for me to travel to Australia. I got a chance to spend some time with one of my best cousins and a few of my best friends in the land down under. I was also able to visit a southern beach in the country, the world-famous Boracay. It was truly a stormy experience, that beach trip.

On the other hand, there were some trips that I planned on going to but did not materialize. I wanted so much to go to Hong Kong with my best buds. In fact, we were planning it as early as January of 2004. They pushed through with it, I got left behind. Where are your financial rainfalls when you need them?

And then, there was this supposed trip to Thailand just before Christmas. It would have been the perfect opportunity for me to see Phuket in its grandeur. Now, all that is left are remnants of a very wet and submerged graveyard. And truly, I am very thankful that the problems I had last year didn't end up as horrifying as the ordeals of the victims of the tsunami. May their souls rest in peace.

On Weight Loss

I guess one of the greatest achievements I had last year was my significant weight loss. After painstakingly losing about 80 pounds in a span of a year, I was able to reap the physical benefits of the feat during the holiday season. Relatives who only saw me during the holidays were quite surprised by the changed. All I could tell them was, "I'm on drugs!"

As of today, I am still overweight by 10 to 15 pounds. I have an entire year to lose it, though. Slowly but surely.

Resolutions

I don't really believe in resolutions. If it happens, it happens, I say. I do, however, have goals for this year. I intend to travel abroad at least once this year. Hopefully, I could travel abroad more. I also intend to lose 20 pounds more, just to be on the safe side. Hello Home TV Shopping!

I also would like to strive hard to minimize my sentimentalities and being too emotional to a bare minimum. Who would want to lose best friends? I also would like to spend more time with my family, although I have yet to figure out how I can do this.

Financially, I would like to be able to save my first hundred grand, or even my first million. The first is just a stone-throw away. The latter, a shot at the moon. Who knows? I might win the lottery one of these days (wish*wish).

But I guess my greatest goal is to be able to finish my MBA and migrate to Australia either latter part of this year or early next year. My goal is to fix all my papers before the year ends.

And to you, anonymous, it will be another year of intriguing comments for me! My goal would not be to please you but rather generate interesting comments from you.... from all of you (wink*wink).

Here's to another year of blogging!

The Bus Ride

It's been quite a while since I last entered this site. Actually, it's been almost a month. Not that nothing has been happening to me. It's probably something more of being too busy during the pre-holiday season. Add to that the trauma I received from comments I got from my previous blogs, both within the site and personally.

Frankly, it was one hell of a joyride for me, to see the multiple anonymous comments battling it out like foes in the Jerry Springer show. But for a friend not talking to me after reading my blog is another thing. And that is what made the whole blogging thing traumatic.

On to my story.

Last Monday, I came in to work wearing formal office slacks and a brown shirt. I was wearing my pants too high that one of my friends approached me, handed me a CD case that very much looked like a Bible case, and told me to open the plastic bag I was holding. And then one of them told me to ask for donations as I looked very much like a preacher from another religious sect asking for donations for the church inside a moving bus. "Peace be with you all," I should have said.

After that, I became known to myself as Pastor Don.

Yesterday, I wore a similar get up, that is, high-waisted office pants (black) and a collared shirt. Add to that a pair of black shoes with un-matching white socks. I tell you, it is sooooo Michael Jackson. I wasn't aware that I was wearing white socks until after I reached the office, until someone mentioned it to me! Sheesh!

After playing a very rough game of badminton, I boarded a bus going home. I was really expecting to see a preacher, after so many years of not seeing one, doing his thing in the bus. So there I was, patiently observing the people around me. In front of me were two homosexuals. They weren't together, though. One was a lesbian, the other a gay guy. I thought, "A bus could really hold a diverse mixture of cultures and people." Beside me were a couple groping at each other. Talk about intimacy and privacy!

And then, as we were about to reach our destination, what do I notice? A guy with a back pack handing out envelopes to people! I don't know if it was mere coincidence or fate. He was not the traditional preacher. In fact, he wasn't a preacher at all. He was a representative of some organization for the disabled. I was just in utter amazement at the fact that I came very close to meeting a preacher once again. And what did he do to convince people to give him some donations? He had a small tambourine and he played it while singing some off-tune Christmas carols!

Had I not been too tired last night, I would have stood up, opened a plastic bag and passed it around. I would have begun my new career in spreading the Word of God.

"Brothers and sisters, the end is near. Have you ever thought about where you would want to be in the after life.....? Giving is much better than receiving.... In giving do we receive graces not on earth but on the after life...."

"So please, empty your wallets and donate to my church.... this is a stick-up!"